our Historie

Grown from experience. Shaped by responsibility. Developed across generations.

14 August 1992 – Foundation of ILCHMANN Fördertechnik GmbH (IFT)

On 14 August 1992, Hans-Joachim Ilchmann and his wife Gerlinde founded ILCHMANN Fördertechnik GmbH (IFT), headquartered in Bickenbach near Frankfurt am Main and Heidelberg.

At that time, Hans-Joachim Ilchmann brought decades of experience in plant engineering. Prior to founding IFT, he worked for the northern German plant engineering company Förderanlagen und Maschinenbau Wilhelmshaven (FMW), most recently as an authorized officer within executive management and head of the FMW-SÜD office in Darmstadt – formerly a division of SCHENCK. This foundation of technical, organizational, and industrial expertise shaped the company from the very beginning.

1992–1993 – A Defining Start with CARGILL
From its very first projects, IFT set a clear direction. For CARGILL, IFT assumed full responsibility for the planning and selection of conveying equipment for a new oil mill in Salzgitter. This project became a milestone – technically demanding, trust-building, and decisive for the company’s future orientation.

The Early Years – Engineering Consultancy with Strong Partners
In the initial phase, the focus was on engineering consultancy. Third-party equipment was still used, particularly drag chain conveyors from TRAMCO Inc. TRAMCO conveyors, well established in the U.S. grain and oilseed industry, were already used on the CARGILL Salzgitter project and were ideally suited to IFT’s early project landscape.

Consistent Development into a Plant Engineering Specialist
Over the following years, IFT steadily evolved from a consultancy into a specialized plant engineering company. The product portfolio was continuously expanded and enhanced with specific conveying technologies, including the pocket belt conveyor – an earlier development of SCHENCK.

1999 – International Breakthrough with CARGILL Donetsk
IFT received its first major order outside Germany. For CARGILL Donetsk, IFT supplied the complete conveying system for a new oil mill with a processing capacity of 1,500 tonnes of sunflower seeds per day, comprising a total of 42 conveyors.

With this project, the nearly seven-year cooperation with TRAMCO came to an end. From this point onward, IFT developed and engineered all conveyors entirely in-house – Made in Germany.

For the first time, complete design work was no longer carried out on the drawing board but using AutoCAD on PC systems. Drag chain conveyors, bucket elevators, and screw conveyors were developed internally, manufactured by certified contract workshops in Germany, and delivered to Ukraine under IFT’s own project management.

01 July 2000 – Partnership with HiRoller
IFT signed an exclusive representative agreement for the European distribution of HiRoller Enclosed Belt Conveyors manufactured by HiRoller of Sioux Falls, SD, USA. These enclosed, self-cleaning belt conveyors ideally complemented the product portfolio. The cooperation, originating from the Donetsk project, proved to be a clear win-win situation for both companies.

01 November 2002 – Entry of the Second Generation
Following his mechanical engineering studies at TU Darmstadt, Dipl.-Ing. Tim Ilchmann joined the family business. He began his career in sales, gaining extensive practical experience through direct interaction with customers across various industries.

10/2007 – Granting of Full Power of Attorney to Tim Ilchmann

01/2008 – Introduction of State-of-the-Art 3D CAD Workstations

02/2009 – Certification According to DIN ISO 9001

2009 – Stability During the Global Financial Crisis
After only a few weeks of short-time work, IFT overcame the global financial crisis without any layoffs—a clear commitment to its employees and to long-term corporate responsibility.

11/2010 – Major Order from FERROSTAAL
Delivery of 52 conveyors for BUNGE Mannheim.

12/2010 – Groundbreaking Ceremony for the New Office Building
Start of construction at Berta-Benz-Straße 4 in Bickenbach.

10/2011 – Move into the New Office Building

10/2012 – End of the HiRoller Representation
Following the acquisition of HiRoller by Ag Growth International (AGI), the successful twelve-year cooperation came to an end.

07/2013 – Major Order from CARGILL Russia
Delivery of 69 conveyors for the Novoanninskiy plant.

02/2014 – Major Order from CROWN
Delivery of 74 conveyors for BUNGE Mykolajiw, Ukraine.

01 July 2014 – Generational Transition
After 55 years of professional life, Hans-Joachim Ilchmann handed over management of ILCHMANN Fördertechnik GmbH to his son Tim Ilchmann, who was appointed Managing Director.

14 August 2017 – 25th Anniversary
IFT had by then engineered and delivered more than 3,000 conveyors. Its international customer base continued to grow, particularly within the oilseed processing industry. Alongside numerous highly specialized conveying solutions, many large-scale projects were successfully completed.

2017 – Record Year
Due to a high order volume, additional manufacturing partners were integrated in Serbia and India. At times, up to five manufacturing facilities were working simultaneously for IFT.

09/2017 – Exim Solutions Assumes Representation in Ukraine

10/2017 – Major Order from Turkey
Abalioglu ordered 67 conveyors.

01/2018 – Major Order from ADM Straubing
Delivery of 27 conveyors.

02/2019 – Major Order from CROWN Hungary
Delivery of 34 conveyors.

11/2019 – Exim Solutions Assumes Representation in Russia

03/2020 – COVID-19 Pandemic
Within a very short time, IFT transitioned completely to remote work. Microsoft Teams was introduced and established virtually overnight.

05/2020 – Start of Cooperation with Brolam Sp. z o.o. (Poland)

08/2020 – Major Order from CROWN Russia
Delivery of 32 conveyors.

01/2021 – Strengthening the Manufacturing Network
Long-standing employee Dennis Reuter assumed management of the main manufacturing partner SF GmbH, which was renamed Reuter Fertigungstechnik (RF GmbH). The Ahlen site continued to develop positively in terms of quality and structure in the following years.

03/2021 – Major Order from Adampolsoya (Ukraine)
Delivery of 55 conveyors.

08/2021 – Return to the Office & Introduction of Mobile Working
After approximately 18 months of pandemic-related remote work, all employees returned to the office. At the same time, mobile working options were introduced.

09/2021 – Start of Cooperation with Tehnodiv (Croatia)

02/2022 – Impact of the War in Ukraine
The war and subsequent sanctions led to a complete standstill of business activities related to Russia.

03/2022 – Major Order from ADM Mainz
Delivery of 38 conveyors.

14 August 2022 – 30th Anniversary
ILCHMANN looked back on three successful decades, with nearly 4,000 conveyors delivered and a cumulative turnover exceeding EUR 200 million.

2023 – Introduction of a Custom-Made ERP System
A modern ERP system was introduced and consistently adapted to ILCHMANN’s internal workflows. Quotation data is transferred directly, while processes in engineering and purchasing are significantly simplified and fully digitized. The system increases transparency, reduces interfaces, and provides a solid foundation for further sustainable growth.

01/2026 – New Manufacturing and Logistics Location in Beckum
At the beginning of 2026, our long-standing manufacturing partner Reuter Fertigungstechnik (RF GmbH) will relocate its operations to a new, modern facility in Beckum. This move will further expand manufacturing capacity, streamline production workflows, and enhance quality standards.

In parallel, ILCHMANN Fördertechnik GmbH will establish its new warehouse location at the Beckum site. In addition, our quality assurance team will be integrated close to the site, enabling even closer coordination between quality assurance, manufacturing, and logistics. This step strengthens operational collaboration, shortens interfaces, increases transparency, and provides a further foundation for efficient processes and sustainable growth.